The final car produced by Yves Courage’s eponymous racecar constructor was one of the most versatile sports prototypes ever built. Three very different versions of the design took part in last
year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, and that was just a hint towards how prolific the chassis has become. Whilst only eleven chassis have been built to date, it is one of the most prodoced racecars ever when you consider one of its later evolutions. Courage LC70 & LC75 chassis list

When
the ACO and FIA introduced new regulations for Sportscar racing in 2004
it was the starts of a short period of grace before every constructor had to introduce
new cars, and Le Mans-based Courage Competition was no different. Its
C60 LMP900 was introduced in 2000 and ran strongly, both in the hands
of the works team and Pescarolo Sport. The latter developed a very
competitive rules hybrid version of it in 2005, which finished second
in that year’s Le Mans 24 Hours. Pescarolo returned the following year
with its now Pescarolo branded C60s and repeated the result, even though it was clear the new
rules cars were significantly faster. During the 24 hours most eyes were on the battle between the Pescarolo C60’s and the Audi R8 but less noticed was the Le Mans debut of the new Courage LC70, none of the three examples starting the race finished. The car was also offered in LMP2 trim and designated as the LC75

In its original trim the Paulo Catone-designed car
featured an ATR composite tub with a Mugen MF458S V8 or a Judd GV5 V10, mated to
a six-speed transmission and clad in bodywork developed by
aerodynamicist Ben Wood.

For 2007 the two works cars were fitted with
AER P32T V8s, but this did not bring better results at Le Mans. So,
with the economic climate shifting, Courage Competition was sold to
Hughes de Chaunac’s ORECA group.v‘We bought the Courage company with the
aim to run the LC70 and then to develop the commercial activities as
well,’ explains ORECA technical director David Floury.Floury’s team
immediately undertook a major modification programme on the LC70,
initially changing the engine installation from the AER turbocharged V8
to the normally aspirated Judd GV5. Alongside this, the design staff
re-worked the drivetrain and front suspension, before turning their
attention to the car’s traction control system. ‘This, along with the
new suspension, made a big improvement in mechanical grip,’ explained a
team source.

During the Le Mans Series test at Paul Ricard early
this year the team ran the car’s old bodywork but, for the first race
at Barcelona, one car was fitted with an all-new aero package. ‘At the
test we had the two cars with the old bodywork but were making a lot of
adjustments. We’ve been developing them through the beginning of the
season for Le Mans.’

The aerodynamic development was a combination
of scale model work at the ACE wind tunnel at Magny Cours and CFD. ‘We
had the basic model but we had to modify it extensively, and also make
it more accurate so you simulate not only the engine but also the
geometry of the car. We have been very strict in the process, using a
lot of the inspection department to make sure the bodywork performs
properly, so it was big improvements on the existing wind tunnel
model,’ says Floury. Following the aero updates the team has
continued to develop the LC70 – the steering, cooling system, fuel flow
and uprights have all been re-designed so all that remains of the
original Courage is the tub and impact structures.‘We kept the same
suspension mounting positions on the chassis but we modified the
bracketry so we didn’t have to do another crash test,’ claims Floury.
‘But we are still developing the car, so every time we run the car we
have new bits and pieces.’

Since the re-design
the LC70 has proven itself far more competitive. ‘Basically, we have
two different aims. The first one is performance, the second one is
reliability, and also easy access to the components. But the schedule
was very tight and then one of our cars was destroyed at Monza, so we
are still lacking time. Every time we run with the car though we learn
a lot. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do a proper test with a
car equipped with the new bodywork because every time we have been
testing we either have new drivers or it rains!’

Now the ORECA have a new version of the Courage – the ORECA 01.

However one of the firms customers in Japan indulged in what maybe the ultimate student project – the Tokai LMP.

“I
used to work for a big car manufacturer and every year our new intake
of students suffered badly from a lack of practical experience, despite
having good theoretical knowledge. They could learn the fundamental
skills of mechanical engineering but were not capable of manufacturing
products based on that knowledge. I wanted the students to apply their
knowledge in a real world project and make a racecar. I chose Le Mans
as it is the biggest ideal of making a car and racing it.’ These are
the words of Professor Yoshimasa Hayashi of Tokai university. He
continues: ‘I chose Le Mans because it is a 24-hour endurance race. In
a race lasting a full day, teamwork is of the utmost importance. The
technological aspect is also important, but the real challenge comes
with the concentration required, making for a gruelling mental aspect
to this race. There are 86,400 seconds in 24 hours and students can’t
break their concentration for even one of those seconds. I want them to
fully appreciate the value of each and every one. I believe this
priceless experience is sure to change some of the students’ outlook on
life and serve them well in the future, no matter what they choose to
do.’

With all that in mind, in 2001
Hayashi started a programme to allow students to design, build and race
a modern prototype in the world’s greatest race, and this began with
the purchase of a Courage chassis. ‘We chose the Courage LC70 because
it is something that is well known and it suits the YGK engine well,’
revealed a team member. The un-raced YGK 4.0-litre engine was installed
and the car built, entirely by the students. ‘Developing the
aerodynamics we used a customer wind tunnel and did some CFD work
also,’ explains Hayashi. ‘Finally, when we had built the car we did
some straight-line work at Fuji Speedway. We have worked a lot on
getting the correlation correct between the development methods.’

The
new YGK LMP1 engine is a turbo-supercharged 4.0-litre V8 designed by Dr
Yoshimasa Hayashi, who was the architect of Nissan’s late eighties and
early nineties Group C engines, including the formidable Nissan VRH35Z,
one of the most powerful engines ever to run at Le Mans. Like that
3.5-litre engine the YGK YR40T has four valves per cylinder, a
90-degree bank angle and one turbocharger for each bank, but air
restrictors rather than a fuel allowance govern its performance. Nissan
allowed Hayashi to do very advanced combustion analysis in the Group C
days, including the use of cylinders that had investigative windows,
but the air restrictors mean that the solutions of that era are not
directly transferable.

Hayashi, who left Nissan in 1994 to become a
professor at Tokyo’s Tokai university (which is noted for its strength
in science and engineering), admits he drew heavily upon his experience
of the VRH35Z with the YGK. However, he also explains that the engine
is a clean sheet of paper design, one targeted specifically at
privateer use. Hayashi, who is chief technical advisor for the YGK
company says: ‘In the design of the YR40T I attached great importance
to low cost, to produce an engine for private teams. Compared to the
VRH35Z the YR40T is almost half price.’The YR40T has a 93mm bore
and a 73.6mm stroke for 3998cc and, under LMP1 rules, runs the same
intake air restrictor area as a 3.6-litre V8 turbo (Audi’s former
multiple winner) but less plenum pressure: a maximum of 1.5bar versus
1.67bar. Conceptually, it is similar to the AER V8, which has recently
been increased in displacement from 3.6 to 4.0-litres. Like the VRH35Z
it is an all-aluminium V8 with double overhead camshafts gear driven
from the front end, but it is significantly more compact – some 50mm
shorter – and, at 130kg, it is some 20kg lighter too, with a lower c of
g height. Designed to run to 6300rpm, the YR40T is a conventional Le
Mans racing engine. The valves are opened by inverted bucket tappets
and are closed by steel coil springs. It has a 26-degree included valve
angle and a compression ratio of 9.5:1. Oil jet cooled, three-ring,
2618 aluminium alloy pistons run in nickel silicon carbide coated wet
aluminium liners. The crankshaft runs in five bearings supported by an
aluminium ladder frame and is driven by titanium con rods. Although
designed in 2001 the YR40T did not run on track until 2005 when 5000
miles of testing were completed in a ‘mule’ chassis. The definitive Le
Mans car/engine combination did not roll out until May 2008 and only
covered 2700km prior to the start of the 24-hour race.

Immediatley obvious is the front bodywork, with a centrally mounted
brake duct compared to the twin fender mounted ducts on the ORECA. The
front splitter is also far larger than seen on the the works cars. The
works ORECA cars have smooth raised sections on the nose housing the
front suspension, whilst the Tokai car retains the multiple lumps and
bumps featured on the original Courage LC70 (in blue – below).

The side of the Tokai car is also very different to the ORECA, looking
at the outlets behind the position lights the treatment is very
different, the shape is considerably different. ORECA’s version
features a Dome S102 style inward scalloping, whilst the Tokai car has
a rather unconventional and organic looking bulge directly behind.

The rear bodywork features a number of bulges and cooling louvres around the turbocharged YGK engine.

Rear wing is seemingly more complex than other Courages. Engine intakes are noticeably large but not ureasonably so.

Courage crash tested the LC70 tub to both LMP1 and LMP2 spec, the latter allowing the creation of the LC75,
a lighter (775kg as opposed to the LC70’s 925kg) AER-powered prototype.
In Courage spec this has not performed greatly, but has been competent
nevertheless. However, Honda USA purchased a number of LC75’s on which to base the Acura ARX-01 LMP2, which runs in the American Le Mans Series. While these cars have been developed very separately to the Courages by Wirth Research there is still some crossover between the two.

‘It
was a good car to start with but we’ve been through a lot of work with
them,’ explains Floury. ‘We have had good contact with Nick Wirth on a
few things and the relationship is good. Everyone has their own
developments and we have contacts with some basic points when they need
some help. It works both ways so when we had problems with the steering
we exchanged knowledge. We react quicker though – when we had a
steering problem in Barcelona, we had a new system in place for Monza
based on the one developed by Acura.‘We still make the tubs for
them and a few other components as well, although Honda accredit their
own developments, but still we keep some of the original LC75 components.’Acura’s ARX-01b (a major update on the 01a) has been increasingly strong in the highly competitive ALMS in competition against Porsche.

The differences between the ARX (above left) and the 2009 spec LC75 (above right) are clear though there is still information exchange between Acura and Courage on the LMP2 design. However the Acura chassis have been homologated as such and not as Courages as the chassis plates reveal

The most recent iteration of the LC75 is the new Formula Le Mans chassis, this spec series supports the main LMS. A 6.2 litre GM V8 is mated to the Courage chassis and drive is via an Xtrac gearbox.

ORECA has come up with a major update for the LC70 so much so it has re-homologated it as the ORECA 01. This car has shown great pace already in the Le Mans series

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